Baby bottle

ABSTRACT

The specification and drawing disclose a baby bottle comprised of a cylindrical open ended tube which is threaded on each of its two ends. An air passageway which communicates between the interior and the exterior of the tube is formed through the threads at one end of the tube. The tube is fitted with two adjustably positionable caps on both of its ends. One cap is adapted to releasably secure a nipple and the cap and the other end is adapted to adjustably overlay the air passageway through the threads so that the air flow into the bottle can be adjusted.

hited States Patent 1 1 [111 Jaclm 1 ay 29, 1973 ABY BOTTLE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: John M. Jacko, 1247 Hayden Ave- 1,451,691 7/1966 France ..2l5/1l B nue, East Cleveland, Ohio 441 12 Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance [22] Filed 1970 Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus [2]] Appl. No.: 100,899 Attorney-Fay, Sharpe & Mulholland [57 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. ..2l5/1l B 1 51 1m. (:1. ..A6lj 9/00 The sFfeclficatlon a {irawmg dlsclse baby P 58 Field of Search ..215/11 B, 11 D, 11 R, mused a f ifq f F 215/56, 79; 222/549, 44 R, 44 A 44 E threaded on eac o 1ts two en s. 11 air passageway WhlCh communicates between the interior and the ex- 5 6 R f CY d terior of the tube is formed through the threads at one e erences e end of the tube. The tube is fitted with two adjustably UNITED STATES PATENTS positionable caps on both Of ends. One cap iS adapted to releasably secure a mpple and the cap and 3,200,980 8/1965 Jamell ..215/l1 B the other end is adapted to adjustably overlay the air 3,l73,566 3/1965 Talbert ..215/79 passageway through the threads so that the air flow Rosefield into the bottle can be adusted 2,473,977 6/1949 Tutt0n.... ..220/44 R 1 357,439 2/1887 Wheelock ..215/11 B 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEU MAYZQ I975 I I 9 26/ f INVENTOR. JOHN M. JA CKO A TTGRNEYS max ao'rrm BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention is directed toward that field of art having within its scope infants nursing bottles and, more particularly, to an apparatus for making easier the sucking removal of liquid from an infants nursing bottle.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the prior art when it was desired to selectively admit air into a baby bottle to facilitate the removal of liquid contained therein, various complicated valves have been employed or, in the alternative, complicated adjustable sealing arrangements have been used. Also utilized were separate air vents in complicated closure arrangements.

Often, the prior devices were difi'icult to adjust and many were easily clogged with the formula. Further, they were generally expensive to manufacture and difficult to manipulate. The present invention solves all of the aforementioned problems as is hereinafter explained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As is well known, as a baby grows older, the volume of liquid it can withdraw from a nursing bottle, as well as the speed with which such withdrawal can be accomplished, continually increases. The subject invention is concerned with an extremely simple arrangement which allows ready adjustment of the rate of air flow into the bottle to facilitate liquid withdrawal by the infant. In general, the invention contemplates a baby bottle comprising an open ended tube having a nipple as sembly th'readedly secured to one end. An end closure assembly is releasably and adjustably threaded to the opposite end of the tube. The threads connecting the end cap assembly are provided with an air passage means which communicate between the interior and exterior of the tube. Preferably, a portion of the end cap assembly overlies the outer end of the air passage means so that by adjustment of the end cap assembly, the quantity of the air flow through the passage means can be adjusted. In the preferred embodiment, the air passage means is simply an elongated slot formed through the threads and the end closure assembly is an internally threaded cap having a length sufficient to completely cover the slot when fully tightened on the bottle.

The many advantages of this arrangement will become apparent from the detailed description which appears hereafter. However, it can readily be seen that the invention provides a bottle which is extremely simple to manufacture, can readily be cleaned, and is easy to use and adjust.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is the provision of a baby bottle assembly which is easy to manufacture and which has a simple arrangement for selectively and adjustably admitting air into the bottle to replace liquid withdrawn therefrom.

Another object is the provision of a baby bottle of the type described wherein both ends of the bottle can be sealed to contain a liquid placed therein when the bottle is not in use.

Still another object is the provision of a baby bottle having adjustable means for selectively admitting a quantity of air commensurate with the rate of speed with which the liquid is withdrawn from the bottle through the nipple.

The above and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a side view, partially in section, of a baby bottle embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cut away view, partially in section, of the lower portion of the baby bottle of FIG. ll;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and,

FIG. 4 is a cut away view, partially in section, of the lower portion of a baby bottle showing a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only, and not for the purpose of limiting same, FIG. i shows the baby bottle indicated generally by the reference numeral 2. As shown, the bottle is comprised of a cylindrical, hollow tube 4 having external threads 6 and 8 at each of its two ends. A nipple assembly '7 is releasably connected to the upper end of the tube 4 by the threads 6. The lower end of the tube is provided with a closure assembly 9 which is releasably and adjustably connected to threads 8.

The nipple assembly 7 could take many forms but in the preferred embodiment, it will be seen that the threaded segment 6 of the tube 4 terminates in an end face 111. Seated on this end face is a flange 10 which extends outwardly from the nipple I2. Overlying the flange It) is a radially inwardly directed flange 14 which emanates from an internally threaded cap 16. It can readily be appreciated that flange M defines an aperture through which the nipple 12 may extend. Since the cap is internally threaded at 18, it can also be seen that by positioning the flange of the nipple on the end face 111 and then locating the cap 16 over the nipple flange I10 and tightening the cap, the nipple 12 will be securely held in position. For ease of operation and tight sealing, it is preferable to have at least six threads at this end of the baby bottle.

Referring to the opposite end of the baby bottle, it can be seen that the closure assembly 9 is comprised of a closed end cap 26 which is internally threaded at 22 to form a liquid impermeable end closure for the baby bottle. To accomplish the objects of this invention, it is generally preferable to employ 10 or more threads at this lower end. The reason for employing this number of threads will hereinafter be explained.

It can be appreciated that by utilizing a baby bottle which is essentially a hollow tube, the cleaning of the bottle is much easier. Note that after removal of both caps, a cleaning implement can be run through the entire length of the tube to dislodge any sediment or remains of formula which might otherwise be caught in the cracks and crevices of an ordinary baby bottle. Further, the nipple and closure assemblies are also simple elements which are easy to manufacture and clean.

Of particular importance to the invention is the arrangement for permitting adjustable air flow into the bottle.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be noted that an air passage means in the form of an aperture 24 is provided through the middle of the external threads 6 of the baby bottle. Preferably, at least two threads lie axially of the ends 26 and 26 of the aperture and such ends lie no closer to the termination of the threads at 30 and '32 than two threads. It is, of course, possible that slot end 28 may terminate at tube end 33 but it should not extend in the other direction any further than the distance that edge 35 may axially advance on threads 8. The slot is positioned in this manner so that a liquid tight seal may be obtained when the cap 20 is screwed all the way up threads 8. In other words, this is the reason for having at least two threads lying axially towards the nipple, not shown in FIG. 2 from the end 26 of ap erture 24. The reason it is preferable that at least two threads generally lie axially toward end 33 of the tube from the end 28 of the aperture is so the cap 20 may be unscrewed to expose the entire aperture and still remain on the bottle end.

Referring now to FIG. 3, which is taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, it can be seen that the aperture 24 extends entirely through the side wall 34 of the baby bottle.

The advantages of the described air control or adjustment arrangement are many. First, and most importantly, no special valve elements are required since the tube 4 and the end cap 20 serve as the valving members. Secondly, the air passage means do not complicate manufacture or cleaning to any noticeable degree. Also, it should be apparent that the arrangement is extremely simple to adjust and adjustment can even be carried out while the bottle is being used. For example, the mother can adjust the end cap 20 with her thumb and forefinger while she is holding and feeding the baby. Finally, because of the thread arrangement, no special sealing gaskets or the like are required.

The above described slot arrangement is preferred because it is one of the most simple forms of the invention and the most easy to manufacture and clean. However, it is apparent that other arrangements could be provided within the scope of the invention. For example, FIG. 4 shows a modified form which could equally well be used. FIG. 4, as hereinbefore stated, shows the lower portion of the baby bottle 2 which has been cut away to save space and sectioned to reveal the positioning of a series of apertures 36 which extend through the wall of the tube. It can readily be seen that the uppermost aperture lies axially at least two threads distant from the termination of the threaded portion 8. The lowermost aperture lies at least two threads distant from the end of the tube which is obscured by cap 20. Preferably, the intermediate apertures of the series are positioned so that they provide a nearly continuous variable air inlay as the cap is interscrewed.

It can be seen that either of these embodiments facilitates the selective admittance of air into the bottom of the bottle to replace the liquid which is removed by sucking action on the nipple 12. It will be appreciated, of course, that when the bottle is in use, it is held in a bottom-up position so that the air will be introduced over any liquid contained within the bottle.

Having specifically described my invention, it will be appreciated that other embodiments may fall within the spirit and the intent of the invention and it is therefore my desire to be restricted only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A baby bottle comprising a liquid impermeable open ended tube being externally threaded on each end and having a radially extending lip on one of said ends; a nipple having means for being releasably secured on said lip; an adjustably positionable internally threaded remov able cap threadedly engaged with said one end and having a radially extending flange defining an aperture in said cap overlying said lip and releasably securing said nipple;

an internally threaded closed end cap threadedly and removably engaged with the other of said tube ends; and

said threads on said other tube end defining an air passage means extending radially from the interior to the exterior of said tube and extending axially no closer to said one end of the tube than the third closest thread of said other tube end such that the closed end cap may be adjusted to selectively overlay any portion or all of the air passage means thereby permitting an adjustable air flow into the tube to facilitate the sucking removal from the nipple of liquid contained in the tube.

2. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said air passage means is a slot communicating with the interior and the exterior of said tube.

3. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said air passage means are apertures.

4. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said nipple securing means is a radially extending flange positionable between said lip and said radially extending cap flange such that the nipple may be releasably secured to said one end and extend through said flange defined aperture.

5. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said air passage means is a slot communicating with the interior and exterior of said tube and wherein said slot has an equal number of threads axially of either of its ends and said equal number of threads is no less than two such that when the cap is completely screwed onto the other tube end an air tight seal is formed by the threads and further such that when the closed end cap is unscrewed to completely expose the slot the cap remains threadedly engaged with said other tube end.

6. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said air passage means are comprised of at least five round apertures positioned through adjacent threads, none of said apertures lying closer to the termination of the threaded portion of said other tube end than two threads such that the closed end cap may be adjusted to selectively overlay any portion or all of the apertures thereby permitting an adjustable air flow into the tube to facilitate sucking removal from the nipple of liquid contained in thetube. 

1. A baby bottle comprising a liquid impermeable open ended tube being externally threaded on each end and having a radially extending lip on one of said ends; a nipple having means for being releasably secured on said lip; an adjustably positionable internally threaded removable cap threadedly engaged with said one end and having a radially extending flange defining an aperture in said cap overlying said lip and releasably securing said nipple; an internally threaded closed end cap threadedly and removably engaged with the other of said tube ends; and said threads on said other tube end defining an air passage means extending radially from the interior to the exterior of said tube and extending axially no closer to said one end of the tube than the third closest thread of said other tube end such that the closed end cap may be adjusted to selectively overlay any portion or all of the air passage means thereby permitting an adjustable air flow into the tube to facilitate the sucking removal from the nipple of liqUid contained in the tube.
 2. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said air passage means is a slot communicating with the interior and the exterior of said tube.
 3. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said air passage means are apertures.
 4. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said nipple securing means is a radially extending flange positionable between said lip and said radially extending cap flange such that the nipple may be releasably secured to said one end and extend through said flange defined aperture.
 5. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said air passage means is a slot communicating with the interior and exterior of said tube and wherein said slot has an equal number of threads axially of either of its ends and said equal number of threads is no less than two such that when the cap is completely screwed onto the other tube end an air tight seal is formed by the threads and further such that when the closed end cap is unscrewed to completely expose the slot the cap remains threadedly engaged with said other tube end.
 6. The baby bottle of claim 1 wherein said air passage means are comprised of at least five round apertures positioned through adjacent threads, none of said apertures lying closer to the termination of the threaded portion of said other tube end than two threads such that the closed end cap may be adjusted to selectively overlay any portion or all of the apertures thereby permitting an adjustable air flow into the tube to facilitate sucking removal from the nipple of liquid contained in the tube. 